Superfine and Ultrafine Grinding— A Literature Survey

Abstract

The growing demand for ultrafine powders, coupled with stringent quality requirements, calls for continuous improvements in all aspects of fine particles production. The high energy costs involved in comminution is also an additional motivator. The equipment most commonly used in fine particles processing and the related process parameters is described. Tumbling ball, stirred, vibratory and fluid energy mills are the most commonly used mill types. A number of factors influence the choice of equipment, including the end-use of the product, required product size distribution, sensitivity of the material to heat, and purity requirements. Stirred ball mills are used in ultrafine grinding because of their high unit outputs, while the low amplitude vibro-energy mills are used because of their low specific energy. Fluid energy mills are economic only in some specific applications as in treating heat sensitive materials, materials for plastics and ceramics where purity and delamination are the most important criteria.